90-8 STEMSEAS and friends: Inspiring our Ocean Science Workforce of Tomorrow through cohort-based undergraduate expeditions

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part I

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Since 2016, STEM Student Experiences Aboard Ships (STEMSEAS), funded by the National Science Foundation, has leveraged unused capacity during transits of ships in the U.S. Academic Fleet to provide undergraduate students with exposure to and experience with science, careers, and life at sea. The program has sailed nearly 300 students on eight vessels operated by the University National Oceanographic Laboratories System (UNOLS) and a vessel operated by Ocean Exploration Trust. A spin-off program brought undergraduates on board the U.S. vessel for scientific ocean drilling, the JOIDES Resolution, and with that ship’s retirement is now bringing students to the Gulf Coast Repository to explore deep ocean cores in a cutting edge instrumented laboratory. Four cohorts have participated in these programs since 2019.

By reaching out to community colleges and HBCUs, along with colleges and schools in landlocked states and those not associated with traditional oceanography institutes, the program has made significant efforts to provide sea-going and related opportunities to students from a broad array of backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. Creative partnerships with independent sea-going scientists, ship operators and other federal agencies have led to recruitment of students with diverse interests and career pathways in mind.

With eyes on building a robust and inspired next generation of ocean scientists, these programs incorporate exposure to many possible careers, a wide swath of ocean science topics and techniques, “soft” skills necessary to succeed in these fields, and opportunities for networking and connection-building. Students are mentored in small research projects, the culture of science at sea, and science communication methods to share their science stories.

This presentation will share some successes and challenges over the ten years of these programs, evaluation results from student surveys, and best practices to continue attracting strong and eager young people into the ocean sciences.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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